LePage Vetoes Bill To Create Bar Harbor Port Authority

Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage is opposing a bill that critics claim could lead to a massive cruise ship pier in Bar Harbor.

Tuesday LePage vetoed a bill to allow local voters to decide whether to create a port authority in Bar Harbor. The House and Senate strongly supported the bill.

LePage called the idea "unnecessary municipal bureaucracy" that deflects accountability from the town. He said such autonomy can create "serious safety concerns."

Some residents in the coastal town worry a port authority would lead to a cruise ship pier that could worsen congestion and quality of life. Bar Harbor plans to buy and convert a former terminal into a cruise and ferry passenger terminal. Town officials have said an independent port authority could ease congestion and avoid municipal debt.